the power behind a name
by Sakura Hyuga
Summary: It is a sad, sad day when one realizes they destroyed all of their fellow BL fanfic writers' dreams just by existing. In other words, hi, I'm Princess Lelouch, and between not dying and saving the entire world, I still have to decide whether I want to go for the yuri harem route, or skedaddle with Suzaku and say goodbye to slash...BL lovers, pls have mercy. SI!fem!Lelouch
1. Fem Lelouch? Who, me?

**the power behind a name**

* * *

**Summary: **It is a sad, sad day when one realizes they destroyed all of their fellow BL fanfic writers' dreams just by existing. In other words, hi, I'm Princess Lelouch, and between not dying and saving the entire world, I still have to decide whether I want to go for the yuri harem route, or skedaddle with Suzaku and say goodbye to slash...BL lovers, pls have mercy. SI!fem!Lelouch

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**Disclaimer: Do you really think I'll be writing fanfiction if I owned Code Geass?**

* * *

**Chapter I: **Fem!Lelouch? Who, me?

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F*ck.

Now, I wasn't usually one to swear, but there was really no other word that could sum up my current situation in such a neat manner.

_Oh my f*ck_, I thought again, with _feeling_, as I stared blankly at the bloody carnage that covered the once pristine staircase. My mother Marianne lay collapsed on the ground, covered in red whilst holding my probably traumatized younger sister.

However, this horrific scene wasn't the reason why I was currently having a mental breakdown.

Because—_Marianne_, oh my _f*ck_. My mother's name was Marianne!

"Don't look, Princess!" One of the guards yelled before a large hand reached over to cover my eyes. Frozen in place, I didn't stop him as my mind raced and pieced together all the small coincidences I had been previously happy to ignore.

My name was Lelouch.

I was the Third Princess of the Holy Britannian Empire, and I had a younger sister named Nunnally.

In addition, I had silky black hair, expressive purple eyes, pale skin, and—

...And damn, I literally got a good look at myself in the mirror every morning, so how did I not recognize who I was?! I was pretty much the spitting image of fem!Lelouch!

The real Lelouch must be rolling in his spiritual grave after witnessing my stupidity for a whole decade!

"Is Princess Nunnally alright—?"

"Jeremiah, take Princess Lelouch away from here—!"

"Sh*t, where are the medics?!"

The guard covering my eyes began steering me away from the clusterf*ck as he murmured soothing platitudes into my ears. Distantly, I noticed that his voice was trembling something fierce, even as he forced some cheer into his words.

Mm, I appreciated the guard's attempt at calming me, but it was really quite useless. After all, it wasn't every day one realizes they transmigrated into the Code Geass world, and as the genderbent main character to boot!

I was allowed to freak out a bit, alright?!

Out of all the possible places I could end up in, why was it the backstabbing, death aplenty Code Geass world?! Where the author (presumably) actually killed off the normally cockroach-like main character?!

Yoo-hoo, could I get a refund please?!

"Princess," the guard—Jeremiah, was it?—began in a worried tone. "Are you alright?"

"..."

At his inquiry, I was momentarily at a loss for words. It wasn't like I could say something like:

_'Oh I'm just peachy, I just realized that my father and my recently deceased (but not) mother are evil masterminds bent on destroying the world as we know it.'_

Or.

_'Hehehehe I'm fine but some of my darling siblings (namely Big Brother Clovis and little Euphie) won't be by the end of this story. And it'll be all my fault, whoops.'_

Or.

_'Hi you're looking at the next evil mastermind, would you like to leave a message for the future me?'_

"Princess?" Jeremiah asked, his distress almost materializing with how anxious he sounded. Snapping out of my self-deprecating daze, I grit my teeth before replying in the calmest voice I could muster, "Yes, I'm completely unharmed."

Physically unharmed, at least. My mental state, on the other hand...

...Actually, I didn't think I was too badly off right now. After all, although I don't remember a lot from my previous life, I did live to my late teens. With the decade I lived in the Code Geass world added on to my previous age, I was probably nearing thirty mentally. My mind definitely wasn't as fragile as a real ten-year old child.

In any case, I definitely wasn't about to storm Father's palace any time soon to make demands. I wasn't about to get me and Nunnally disowned, especially when Nunnally needed all the medical care she could get. I doubt she would be treated well in Japan, where we would essentially be abandoned hostages.

In all honesty, other than the faint worry I had for Nunnally buzzing under my skin, I felt relatively composed. And although I was indeed worried for Nunnally's condition, it was hard to feel anything stronger than the shock I felt when I realized exactly who I was. In addition, I knew Nunnally would be alright for the time being.

After all, thanks to her brother's efforts, she ended up becoming the Empress of Britiannia.

Lelouch..._I_, on the other hand...

Uh, I either got stabbed to death by my future ex-best friend, or I attained immortality. Come to think of it, which Code Geass world was I in? Was it the anime one, or the movie AU one?

...Not that it would matter either way. It wasn't like I had watched all the movies or the anime. In fact, the only Code Geass thing I had watched was the latest movie, the Re;surrection one.

My roommate had gotten free tickets for the movie when it premiered in theaters and dragged me along after making me watch a ten minute youtube video recap. Unsurprisingly, I understood absolutely nothing when I watched it, and only got the gist of the plot after I went home and read some character wikias and fanfiction.

Yeah, I knew some main plot points of this franchise, but I didn't know anything else. Which. Didn't really bode well for my future.

For the first time since I started dying over my studies in university, I felt the urge to strangle my past self for not chilling out more. What use was all that studying if I ended up transmigrating into a fictional world?! It would be so much better if I spent that time actually watching the anime and the movies!

Right now, with the minimum foreknowledge I knew, I was probably only slightly better off than the original Lelouch.

"Princess?"

...No, actually, I was far more doomed than he ever was.

Because that had been Lelouch! Prince Lelouch vi Britannia, the Eleventh Prince of the Holy Britannian Empire! He had been the cunning, calculative teenager who managed to bring the world to their knees.

And despite sharing his name and his appearance, I was just..._me_.

I wasn't that Lelouch. Nunnally wasn't my reason for living. I did love her, yes, but I was also quite close to my other siblings. In fact, in my previous life, I never wanted a little sister. I never wanted to become a big sister who needed to protect her younger siblings. Instead, I just selfishly wanted an older brother or an older sister who could protect _me_.

It was why, despite not sharing a mother, I was still very close to all my older siblings in this world. I tagged along with Clovis whenever he visited art museums, and sometimes spent hours just watching him paint. Schneizel was the one who took care of me during the months mother..._Marianne_ had been busy with Nunnally, and he indulged almost all my whims despite his hectic schedule. Guinevere taught me high fashion and etiquette, while Cornelia taught me combat. Even Odysseus, who was almost never home, still pampered me and took me to places like the zoo whenever he was free.

Despite our rather dysfunctional family, to me, they were all very good older siblings. It was hard to relate every one of them to the text I had once read on their wikia pages.

Clovis, who only cared about himself. Schneizel, who could gun down Cornelia in cold-blood. Cornelia, who cared most about Euphemia.

Marianne, _mother_, who didn't mind sacrificing her children for her goals. Whose kindness, whose mothering were all just a facade.

My eyes burned.

"Princess!" Jeremiah's panicked voice cut through my dreary thoughts. "You..."

Repressing a flinch at the sudden interruption, I tugged the corner of my lips into a smile before lifting my head to face him. "Yes?"

When he saw my face, the man appeared as if he was slapped. Hesitating for only a split second, Jeremiah reached over and then...

Pulled me into a warm hug?

"Sir?" I asked, tone coloured with disbelief. It wasn't that I was against being hugged, but touching royalty like this without permission was a crime, one that could get you arrested!

"It's alright, Princess," Jeremiah murmured softly. "I'm sure Princess Nunnally will be fine. Please do not cry."

"...Cry?"

It was only then did I realize my face was streaked with tears.

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**AN:** Watched Re;surrection, got stuck in the fandom, and then decided to write a terribly self-indulgent SI fic in hopes of being kicked out? LMAO. Hope someone enjoys this!


	2. Nunnally

**the power behind a name**

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**Summary: **It is a sad, sad day when one realizes they destroyed all of their fellow BL fanfic writers' dreams just by existing. In other words, hi, I'm Princess Lelouch, and between not dying and saving the entire world, I still have to decide whether I want to go for the yuri harem route, or skedaddle with Suzaku and say goodbye to slash...BL lovers, pls have mercy. SI!fem!Lelouch

* * *

**Disclaimer: Do you really think I'll be writing fanfiction if I owned Code Geass?**

* * *

**Chapter II: **Nunnally

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I curled up on the admittedly comfy sofa before staring absently-mindedly at the door in front of me.

It was the door to the ICU room. Nunnally was in there.

_Nunnally_.

...It was strange. I didn't know what I was currently feeling, or if I was even feeling anything in the first place. The past couple of days had passed in a haze, and honestly, it felt like I was running on autopilot rather than actually living.

After finding out you were living in a fictional world, many things were put into a certain perspective.

Princess Nunnally, the canon Lelouch's precious sister...she wasn't the saint most people made her out to be. At least, the version I knew wasn't one. Like all young children, my little sister was endearing and cute some of the time, but acted like a total menace otherwise.

Nunnally was just a normal, little brat, the kind who threw tantrums when they didn't get their way. And honestly, I...didn't like dealing with troublesome children.

She was my younger sister, so of course I loved her. I mean, wasn't it normal to love your little sister? However, whatever I felt for Nunnally...it definitely wasn't anything like canon Lelouch's almost fanatical love for his beloved sister.

In any case, I certainly didn't consider Nunnally to be my sole reason for living.

And that was the problem, wasn't it?

Canon Lelouch clung to life during his dark days because he wanted to save Nunnally. Because he wanted to exact justice for his murdered mother. But I...

Call me selfish, but as of now, I wasn't sure if I wanted to stake my everything just for Nunnally's sake. And obtaining revenge for Marianne, the mother who would betray me in the future, was even less of an incentive.

...When I had been reborn in this world, I thought I had stuck gold reincarnation-wise. I was the Third Princess of the Empire, so I wasn't expected to become someone great. My mother hadn't been noble-borne, but she was a Knight and could protect Nunnally and I. And since we were royalty, money would never be a problem.

As long as I wished for it, I was completely capable of having a happy, quiet and peaceful life. And after being reincarnated, a life like that was just what I wanted. I had no dreams of becoming the Empress, nor a hero.

But now, that...didn't seem possible anymore. If I didn't step up to the plate and find a way to stop my insane parents, their evil master plan might actually succeed.

I certainly had no intention of being 'united' with all of humanity!

"Lelouch?"

Snapping out of my daze, I blinked twice before glancing up. Cornelia stood in front of me, her normally fierce face softened and her forehead furrowed. With her current, concerned expression, one that was rarely seen on her face, I might have even mistaken her for a worried Euphie if it weren't for the armor she was wearing.

"Lelouch?"

It took me a few more seconds before I registered the fact that she had spoken. "Yes, sister?"

Cornelia's forehead furrowed even more. She glanced at Jeremiah, who stood silently behind me, before saying, "Schneizel is here."

My mouth dried up.

"Lelouch? What's wrong?"

The expression on my face must have changed, because Cornelia was starting to look even more worried. Swallowing heavily, I forced the corners of my mouth to twitch upwards before giving Cornelia a small smile. "Nothing, shall we be on our way to meet big brother?"

"There's no need."

Upon hearing the gentle, baritone voice, I swore all the muscles in my body had froze. A moment later, I was pulled into a warm and familiar hug as the scent of fresh roses assaulted my nose.

"B-Big brother?" I stuttered in surprise.

"It's me," Schneizel replied. "Lelouch, how do you feel?"

Lilac eyes stared at me with visible concern as a pale hand latched onto my chin and tilted my face up. I could practically see the sparkling CG background and hear the sound of a singing choir...

WTF, did my brother learn this move in a host club or something?! Does the Ourxn Hxst Clxb know about this copyright infringement?!

...All jokes aside, this was one of the reasons why I had never made the connection between Code Geass and my new life. After all, I really couldn't believe the gentle Schneizel I knew was the same ruthless Schneizel I had once read about.

The Schneizel from Code Geass was someone who was capable of being more formidable than the Emperor. Despite his noble and upright facade, he was more cunning than a fox and an even better actor. And although he remained friendly with his siblings, he wouldn't hesitate to dispose of any of them if they blocked his path.

To realize the older brother you had all but idolized was capable of discarding you without remorse, it...really was a bitter pill to swallow.

"Sir Jeremiah, with me," Cornelia ordered before walking away. Jeremiah glanced at me, presumably to gauge my reaction.

Despite being one of my guards, it was impossible for him to ignore my sister's direct order. Thus, to appease him, I sent the young man a smile. Strangely enough, Jeremiah looked even more hesitant before he finally followed after my sister.

...Which left me alone with Schneizel. I breathed in deeply.

See, the biggest problem was the fact that I still trusted my brother. No matter what I told myself for the past few days, my heart felt that big brother Schneizel wouldn't betray me. And that was dangerous. In this world, loyalties changed as frequently as the weather.

The brother I had been so familiar with only a week ago felt like a stranger to me now. A stranger I was scared of.

...No.

Belatedly, I suddenly realized that I was just terrified in general. My whole world had been abruptly flipped upside-down, and with my new knowledge of who I was, I felt like there was no one I could trust. After all, there was no one in Code Geass who had loved Lelouch unconditionally.

No one who would put Lelouch before everything else.

"Lelouch?" Schneizel asked again, his tone practically oozing concern. Was it real, or was it an act? The most frightening thing was that I couldn't tell.

"I feel fine," I replied softly, voice a bit hoarse. "Brother, what are you doing here?"

"...Have you even been sleeping? You look exhausted, little sister." Schneizel frowned, his face filled with self-reproach as he hugged me tighter. "I'm sorry, I tried to hurry back as fast as possible when I was informed of what had happened."

"...It's not your fault," I mumbled before averting my eyes. In all honesty, I was surprised Schneizel managed to return so quickly. Last I heard, he had been negotiating with the EU, and it was rare for him to drop everything just to check up on his younger sister.

Even if said sister's life was turned upside-down.

"Lelouch..." Schneizel stared at me. There was an emotion in his eyes I couldn't quite read, but it was gone before I could dissect it. My older brother appeared to have more to say, however, the light above the ICU room suddenly went out.

My breathing stuttered.

I was really an idiot. Despite knowing Nunnally was fine, though crippled for life, I still felt myself tense as I watched the surgeon who had stepped out of the room like a hawk. Countless what-ifs flitted through my mind.

_What if this was an alternate universe where Nunnally died?_

_What if there had been some kind of a complication?_

_What if she left me too?_

"Princess Lelouch...and Prince Schneizel," the surgeon began after shooting Schneizel an uncertain look. Clear exhaustion underlined his tone as he pawed his face and sighed. "Princess Nunnally is no longer in critical condition. However, her legs are beyond saving."

The air left my lungs in a whoosh as I felt my fear abating. Trying to look less relieved and more worried, I asked in a small voice, "Nothing can be done?"

"Nothing can be done for her," the surgeon confirmed as Schneizel stroked my back, probably in an attempt to soothe me. "She's still unconscious, but you can go in and see her now if you want to, Your Highnesses."

Ever since I realized I was Lelouch, I had mixed feelings about my younger sister. For one, it felt like I was robbing the girl of her beloved brother, even if I've existed in his place ever since I was born here. But...

"...Of course I want to see her," I said firmly.

After all, even if I wasn't canon Lelouch, Nunnally was still my cute, little sister.

* * *

**AN: **Thanks for the warm welcome everybody! I thought nobody was going to read this hahaha. Not going to lie, I'm only continuing this story since there seems to be people interested in it, so uh, please continue to review and tell me what you think about it! See you next time (maybe lol).


	3. The Fever

**the power behind a name**

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**Summary: **It is a sad, sad day when one realizes they destroyed all of their fellow BL fanfic writers' dreams just by existing. In other words, hi, I'm Princess Lelouch, and between not dying and saving the entire world, I still have to decide whether I want to go for the yuri harem route, or skedaddle with Suzaku and say goodbye to slash...BL lovers, pls have mercy. SI!fem!Lelouch

* * *

**Disclaimer: Do you really think I'll be writing fanfiction if I owned Code Geass?**

* * *

**Chapter III: **The Fever

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"_BIG SISTER!_"

I woke up to the sound of an earsplitting scream and the door thumping open. My head immediately snapped up before I was hit with a sense of vertigo, one that only got worse when I registered precisely _who _was screaming.

However, for now, I had no time to worry about my own discomfort. After all, a little bit of dizziness meant absolutely nothing when your little sister was screaming bloody murder.

"Mother!" Nunnally all but wailed as she thrashed around on her hospital bed. Her little face was all scrunched up, and although she seemed awake, she didn't open her eyes at all. "Please—Mother—big sister—"

"Hey!" Hastily sitting up in the chair I had apparently fallen asleep in, I immediately reached over to grab one of her flailing arms. "Hey, Nunna! Nunna, it's me. Nunnally, calm down!"

"...Big sister?"

"Yes," I said, thanking the heavens that my voice got through to my frantic little sister. It would have been a disaster if she had fallen off the bed with all her thrashing. "It's me."

After sending Jeremiah—who had literally burst through the door with his gun drawn when he heard Nunnally's scream—a look that told the guard to make himself scarce, I let my voice soften as I petted my sister's hair. "Don't worry, Nunna, big sister is here."

Nunnally's struggles slowly ceased before she, in an admirable display of power, literally dragged me onto her bed. The next thing I knew, tiny hands were running across my body and then patting my face.

"It's really you, you're okay!" Nunnally gasped, sounding near tears. And although her eyes were still closed, they were starting to visibly redden. "I thought—I thought you—"

My chest felt stuffy as I watched my little sister struggle to not cry. Leaning over, I pulled Nunnally into a tight hug. Although I wasn't much taller or bigger than Nunnally despite being four years older, her small, willowy frame suddenly felt indefinitely fragile now. "Nunna..."

"Big sister," Nunnally sniffed as her hands clutched the clothes on my back. "Why...Why can't I see you? Or move my legs?"

I froze as my mind came to a screeching halt.

Oh no.

Oh no no _no no no_.

Was I—

I—how—

How was I supposed to tell my little sister that—that—

That she would never be able to walk again?

That she wouldn't be able to see again, for at least a decade?

Nunnally was just a _child_.

"Big sister?"

I suddenly found it a little hard to breathe as the sense of vertigo I had been ignoring during my adrenaline rush came back with a vengeance. My head spun, no, it _hurt_ like someone had just kicked a soccer ball into the back of my head.

As I discreetly shook my head in an attempt to dispel the sudden dizzy spell I was assaulted with, Nunnally's small hands found their way back to my face.

"Also, big sister...why is your forehead so hot? Are you alright—ah!"

That was the last thing I heard before my vision went dark.

* * *

This time, when I woke up, I felt as if I had been run over by a train. My throat was parched, and every part of my body hurt like it was on fire.

Well, almost every part. Accompanying the scent of fresh paper and paint was a blissfully cool hand that was palming my burning forehead and dampening the pain. Sighing in relief, I reached up to prevent the hand from leaving my face.

"Lulu?" A boyish voice spoke up, tone tinged with slight relief.

"Mm," I mumbled, too drowsy to do anything else. If moth—_Marianne_ was here, she would have scolded me for being disrespectful... "Brother Clo."

Peeling open my crusty eyelids, I stared blearily at my third older brother who sat on the chair beside my bed. He looked pale, face drawn out with concern as he obliged my silent request and relinquished his precious hand to me. Clovis was now sixteen and studying for his finals, so it had been quite a while since he had visited. Although, a quick once-over told me that his appearance hadn't changed much.

I blinked at him once, twice...before my memories suddenly returned and I almost leapt off the bed.

"Wait! Little sister, calm down!"

Calm down? _Calm down_?! I just fainted in front of my frightened, recently comatose little sister, and Clovis wanted me to _calm down_?!

"Is Nunna alright?" I demanded as warm hands tried pushing me back onto the bed. "Let me go and see her!"

"She's not the one running a high fever right now," a cold voice spoke up dryly. Schneizel walked into the room with a tight smile as a doctor followed after him. "Nunnally's completely fine and asleep, you can go and see her when she wakes up later."

"...Does she know what happened?" I asked, tense and uncomfortable. I finally remembered what Nunnally had asked me right before I collapsed.

"I already informed Her Highness of the extent of her injuries," the doctor spoke up gently. "Princess Nunnally took the news well, and seemed more worried for you, Princess Lelouch."

"...Oh."

I was a horrible, _horrible_ sister.

Despite feeling awful that I hadn't been there to ease her through the news, I felt undeniably _relieved_ that I didn't have to be the one to break it to her. It wouldn't have mattered either way, but the fact that I was spared of Nunnally's expression for when she found out made my tense body completely sag.

"Sit back down," Schneizel demanded, apparently at the end of his fuse. I had no intentions of dealing with an irate Schneizel, especially when I was feeling this awful, so I obediently stopped trying to jump off the bed.

Clovis let out a sigh of relief.

"You really scared me, Lulu," the younger of the two teens said quietly as he patted my hand. "I'm sorry I wasn't here sooner. I thought it was strange when you didn't call me last week, but I didn't pay too much attention to it since I was neck-deep in studying. Nobody told me what happened either until I finished all my exams, so I only got here now..."

"Save it for later, Clovis," Schneizel cut him off in a frosty tone before he sat onto the edge of my bed. Then, the teenager passed me a cup of water and two white pills. "For your fever."

The temperature of the water was slightly hotter than luke-warm, just how I liked it. Then again, Schneizel had enough time getting that right, considering how often I used to get sick.

I wasn't sure if canon Lelouch was the same, but I had a _really _weak immune system. Nunnally had always been the energetic and healthy child who ran around day and night, while I was mostly stuck indoors to recuperate from this fever or that cold. And since Schneizel was the one who babysat me most of the time, he was also the one who had to deal with his sick sister.

...It was why he was my favourite brother, although Clovis did come a close second. I used to always think that Schneizel had adored me as much as I did him, considering he had never foisted me off to a maid whenever I was sick. But now that I knew he was _Code Geass_' Schneizel, I couldn't help but wonder why he did all of that. Was he hoping I would become his ally in the future?

"Lelouch? Is something the matter?" Schneizel's voice snapped me out of my daze. I glanced at the inconspicuous, white pills before throwing all caution to the wind. In a smooth move, I threw the pills into my mouth and washed them down with a gulp of water.

Schneizel wouldn't try poisoning me, not with so many witnesses and not when there were so many other ways to quietly dispose of me. There was no need to worry about that, at least not now.

"...Is Nunnally really alright?" I asked quietly. Wasn't it ironic that I was hospitalized the very day my little sister woke up?

"Yes," this time, Clovis was the one who spoke up. "I already visited her earlier. She's already bouncing back from...everything."

Something in my chest tightened as I wondered just how much of that statement was the truth. Nunnally was just a young child. To be told that she'll never be able to see or run around again, when she had once been as energetic as a little monkey...

"More importantly," Schneizel began slowly. "Lelouch, what do you intend to do now?"

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**AN: **Dragged in big bro Clovis now! And whoa, did everyone's interest for this fic suddenly wane? Chapter two received 65% less reviews than chapter one rip, is there even anyone still enjoying this? I don't have much time to spare and I usually only continue fics that a lot of my readers like, so please leave me a review and tell me you're still reading ;w; Otherwise, considering I have arc one already planned out, I might drop it after that if not enough people read/review...LOL it kind of sounds like I'm holding your future chapters hostage XD.

Anyway, I'm tentatively planning for ten chapters plus an extra for arc one (which would bring us to eleven chapters), so if we reach chapter eleven and I don't have 100+ reviews by then, I might take a step back from this fic to work on something else. Wanted to give everyone a heads up ha ha. Thanks a lot for reading and I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter!


	4. Adoption

**the power behind a name**

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**Summary: **It is a sad, sad day when one realizes they destroyed all of their fellow BL fanfic writers' dreams just by existing. In other words, hi, I'm Princess Lelouch, and between not dying and saving the entire world, I still have to decide whether I want to go for the yuri harem route, or skedaddle with Suzaku and say goodbye to slash...BL lovers, pls have mercy. SI!fem!Lelouch

* * *

**Disclaimer: Do you really think I'll be writing fanfiction if I owned Code Geass?**

* * *

**Chapter IV: **Adoption

* * *

I blinked blearily at my two brothers.

Whatever meds Schneizel fed me were finally starting to do its job, because my feverish mind no longer felt as dizzy as it did before. Unfortunately, I felt a different headache making its presence known the moment the older boy had asked me that question.

What I intended to do now? If I had already figured out my future plans, did he think I would have continued to be so distraught?!

...To be honest, there wasn't much I could hope to do. In canon, Lelouch's demands for justice had only resulted in both his and Nunnally's exile. Thus, I obviously didn't have any hopes that Emperor Charles would help us. And now, with mother, _Marianne_ gone...

Frankly, I wondered if this was how Emperor Charles' other children disappeared, one by one. He had over a hundred consorts, and almost each of them had at least one child, but the public was only aware of a few. Did my other half-brothers and sisters die after their mothers were taken out?

Perhaps canon Lelouch's exile had ended up saving him and Nunnally instead of damning them. At least the people in Japan had to keep the two of them alive. There was no one in the imperial family who would do the same here.

In that case, throwing a tantrum in front of my father was the way to go.

_Except_...I bit my lower lip. Targeted or not, Nunnally would be treated to better medical facilities here than she would in Japan. Could I really make a decision like this in her stead?

I didn't particularly want to lug my fragile sister through a war-zone either...honestly, unless the protagonist's magical halo was helping me, I didn't think I would even be _capable_ of doing that without sending the both of us into an early grave.

"Lulu?"

"Uh," snapping out of my daze, I pursed my lips and struggled to say something that wasn't stupid. "I-I'm not sure yet."

...Way to go, me. That hadn't been a stupid response, but it was quite a useless one.

Then again, pretending to be dumb was also a strategy I could consider employing. After all, I wasn't that fond of spilling all my future plans to my two older brothers. Sure, they acted all worried for Nunnally and I now, but who knew what they would be like by the time the canon plot started. Maybe, like canon, Schneizel and Clovis would have long become my enemies by then.

I steadfastly ignored the way my stomach flipped at the mere thought.

"Lelouch," Schneizel stared at me with narrow eyes. "I'm sure you're already aware of this, so let me be blunt. This will be the end of the vi Britannia line."

"Schneizel!" Clovis hissed, surprisingly speaking against Schneizel for once as I tried to hide a flinch.

What was the purpose of that statement? Sure, it was true, but what did Schneizel gain by saying it out loud?

My second eldest brother could be the number one host of a host club if he desired, with his slippery tongue that could talk him out of any situation. I refused to believe his tact had suddenly left him like this!

"She's past the age for us to coddle her, Clovis," Schneizel snapped before pressing his lips into a tight line. He...was also showing a surprising amount of anger.

Um...did the medicine Schneizel give me have any hallucinatory properties? Why were my two brothers suddenly acting so OOC?

"Yes," I abruptly said as I subtly broke up my brothers' glaring contest. I certainly didn't want to find Clovis dead in a ditch tomorrow for going against Schneizel. "Yes, big brother, I understand Nunna and I are in a very precarious position now that mother...mother is gone."

Pfft, that had got to be the understatement of the year.

Pausing, I felt the corners of my lips tilt upward into a wry smile. "And father is calling off the investigation already, right?"

"How do you know about that?" Clovis blurted out, sounding horribly guilty but curious at the same time.

"Well," I shrugged with practiced, fake nonchalance. "Father has never ordered an investigation for the deaths of the other aunties. I'm surprised he even ordered one for Mother, but I guess even he's wary of being killed in his own home, considering Mother was killed in her palace."

"...You have understood your situation well," Schneizel said, his lips forming a small smirk as Clovis gaped at me in surprise.

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. I guess it would have been pretty surprising for a young child to understand all of this, but I definitely wasn't a young child so it just made me embarrassed whenever Schneizel praised me. Schneizel was the real prodigy of the family here.

"But your understanding does make things easier to discuss," Schneizel said with a hint of approval in his tone. I willed the blush on my cheeks away before adopting a serious countenance. "Big brother, what are you talking about?"

Instead of answering, the eldest in the room handed me some papers. Feeling a bit baffled, I took a look at them...and then felt myself choke.

"A-Adoption?" I squeaked before giving my brother a look of bafflement. What the f*ck was my brother up to now?!

Big bro, you just only turned nineteen! Aren't you a bit too young to be saddled with two kids so soon?

"My mother has already agreed," Schneizel began calmly as he ignored Clovis' bug-eyed stare. Reaching over, my second eldest brother pulled me into yet another hug before murmuring, "Is there a need for you to look so surprised? What were you expecting to happen?"

"...Not this," I responded honestly.

"Hm?" Schneizel sounded amused. "Don't tell me you thought you would be staying with Nunnally in the Aries Villa by yourself?"

...Actually, that was exactly what I had been expecting. In the very least, I had never expected the el Britannia family to adopt us, even if Schneizel's mother had been awfully close with Marianne.

"H-Hey, wait!" Clovis started complaining the moment he finally snapped out of his daze. "You can actually do something like this?"

"Yes," Schneizel responded coolly. "We're not your only option either, Lelouch. I believe Cornelia has already brought her request to her elders as well. And from what I can tell, Odysseus and Guinevere will follow."

...Well, Odysseus was definitely not a wise choice. Even if I was fond of my eldest brother, Lady Anticlea had been at odds with Marianne. It was way too risky to be adopted by a woman who had wanted Nunnally and I dead probably even before we were born.

Guinevere wasn't an option either. I didn't have anything against my eldest sister, but she was closest to Carine, who really got onto my nerves. Or well, both she and Nunnally got on my nerves with the way they fought like a cat and a dog. If I had to live through their fights everyday, I think I would go deaf.

That basically left Schneizel and Cornelia.

...Honestly, against my better judgment, I would rather go with Schneizel. He was the one who practically 'raised' me (not that I needed a lot of raising), and I was closer to him compared to Cornelia.

However, Nunnally was definitely closer to Cornelia and Euphemia. The two of them loved her as if she was their full-blooded little sister. Cornelia was also pretty honest, and nothing like two-faced Schneizel.

In addition...

I peered up at Schneizel. I didn't know why, but I sometimes felt as if Schneizel disliked Nunnally. He had no patience at all for my younger sister, and I wondered if this was the real reason his mother never had another child.

...Then again, I could be overthinking it. After all, Schneizel was always patient when he dealt with me, and Nunnally was a brat most of the time.

"There's no need to decide now," Schneizel suddenly spoke up. He helped me lie down and then tucked me into my blankets. "You should be feeling the effects of the medicine soon, so sleeping now would be wise."

"...Of course," I agreed slowly. I wasn't sure if I could fall asleep now, drugged or not. Schneizel really gave me a lot to think about.

"I'll come and visit you again later, Lulu," Clovis said, still looking a bit put out. As for me, I could only thank my stars that Clovis was still underage. Getting adopted by _Clovis_ of all people would have been hilarious.

"Oh, wait," I called out before tugging on Schneizel's jacket. "Brother, can you find Jeremiah for me?"

Schneizel blinked. "Jeremiah?"

"Sir Jeremiah Gottwald," I amended. "He's the guard who has been taking care of me since...since the incident."

"Gottwald?" Schneizel's eyes narrowed before he flashed me a bright smile. "Don't worry, little sister, I'll send him over when I find him."

...I had absolutely no idea why Schneizel smiled his get-ready-to-die-bitches smile, but I squirmed away from him just in case. Clovis was also inching away from him before he gave me an awkward wave and escaped out of the door.

"Sleep well, sister," Schneizel said before standing up. Blinking twice, I yawned before rolling over to my side.

"Thank you for visiting me, brother."

I wasn't sure if it was because of the medicine, but I did end up falling into a pleasant, dreamless sleep.

* * *

**AN: **I feel like this was a pretty boring chapter, was I the only one? Anyway, there's a lot more silent readers than I thought! Thank you for following, favouriting, and reviewing, everyone, and please continue to do so! I guess I'm different from other authors in the sense that even those 'pls update' reviews encourage me lol, since otherwise I don't know if anyone is actually reading and enjoying it enough to want another chapter. In any case, I hope you enjoyed this and see you next time!


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